Sunday 20 April 2014 14.30 EDT
First published on Sunday 20 April 2014 14.30 EDT

Philippe Gilbert won the Amstel Gold Race for the third time, clinching the 49th edition in the southern Netherlands.

Racing for BMC, the Belgian broke away from the peloton about three kilometres from the finish during the final steep ascent of the Cauberg and then held on as other riders tried to narrow the gap.

Gilbert's win in the 251km race followed his triumphs in 2010 and 2011. He finished in 6hr 25min 57sec. Fellow Belgian Jelle Vanendert was second, Australia's Simon Gerrans third, and Alejandro Valverde of Spain fourth.

"I went for it at the steepest part and was happy I could hold on to my lead," Gilbert said. "Is it the same feeling as being world champion? No but I'm really happy winning my third here."

Gilbert was the 2012 winner of the UCI Road World Championships.

Joaquim Rodríguez and Andy Schleck pulled out after an early crash. A 10-man group broke away and opened up a gap that expanded to 15 minutes. Valverde and his Movistar team worked to close the gap, and a pack of 50 riders were complete again with seven kilometres remaining.

"The second half of the race was very fast because nobody wanted to ride behind that breakaway," Gilbert said.

Valverde and Gerrans each attacked before Gilbert's challenge but once the Belgian began his push neither could hold him. Gilbert was first to the summit with a clear lead and was not seriously threatened in the final 1.8km descent to the finish line.

Edvald Boasson Hagen (Norway), in 39th, and Nathan Earle, 79th, were Team Sky's only finishers.

Asked whether he might win all three Ardennes classics – the Amstel Gold Race, La Flèche Wallonne and Liège-Bastogne-Liège – as he did in 2011, Gilbert said: "I have started well in any case. It would be fantastic … but for now I'm just enjoying this."